Rusted Root at Hensville Park in Toledo, OH

You can put on a great show for a special cause and still rock out. Project iAm got a wonderful band to help them out with Rusted Root.

Project iAm was developed initially as a fundraiser, Acoustics for Autism, to raise money and establish scholarships with providerâ€™s of care in the Toledo, Ohio area. Their primary focus is to provide support, information, resources, and financial assistance to families affected by autism. To this end, DJ Rob Sample, Arctic Clam, and especiallyÂ Rusted RootÂ came out to rock the stage at HensvilleÂ Park in Toledo.

Project iAm is a 100 percent volunteer-based group. All donation, after standard operating expenses, goes directly to their scholarship fund and is distributed periodically throughout the year. Project iAm is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization if you would like to place a donation with them after finishing this review. Now onto the music!

DJ Rob Sample greeted the crowd at Hensville park as soon as the gates opened with high energy mixing and scratching. He did an even better job getting the crowd ready for the Arctic Clam set that was the opening act for the night’s headliner. The four-piece from Toledo consists of Nicole Khoury (vocals), Mick Mason (guitar), Steve Knuerk (bass), and Scott Hayes (drums). They played a wide variety of songs in their set to please the audience and keep the excitement fresh for the event. Nicole’s commitment to the Project iAm is astounding in that she walks the walk and lets her big heart do the talking for this fundraiser.

After another great session by DJ Rob Sample, the main dish took to the stage for the pleasure of the supports of the night. If the name sounds familiar, Rusted Root is a Pittsburgh five-piece made up of Michael Glabicki (vocals), Liz Berlin (percussion), Patrick Norman (bass), Dirk Miller (guitar), and Cory Caruso (drums).

The band achieved stardom in 1994 with its immensely successful album,Â When I Woke(Amazon), which included the single “Send Me On My Way” (Amazon).Â The song has been featured in both films and commercials.

Rusted Root actually filled in for the fundraiser on short notice due to logistical problems with other potential acts. Their hearts are definitely in the right place and put on a great show. See the band now through at least until the end of the year on the road.

If you were at the show, or are a Rusted Root fan, we’d love to hear your stories on them or the topic of autism for which they played. Hit us up on our Facebook or Twitter feeds because we’d love to see your photos or read your experiences.

About The Author

After getting the photo bug in the far, past days of black and white film, Erich continued to develop his eye for photography which lead to stops in the sporting, art, wedding, and eventually concert music worlds. Now, doing more writing for National Rock Review, he has entered into the journey of getting to know the artists and the industry, not just the faces on the other side of the lens.